After stringing together a series of impressive wins, the Bishop Ireton Cardinals came up short Tuesday night against Paul VI Catholic, the region’s No. 3 ranked team.

The Cardinals kept the game tight, even breaking out to an early, first-quarter lead, but they couldn’t keep the Panthers at bay for long. A monstrous fourth-quarter effort, which saw 31 points go up on the board, put 6-0 Paul VI over the top.

Freshmen forward Marcus Derrickson led the Panthers in scoring, netting 16 points in the 71-58 victory against the 4-2 Cardinals.

Prior to the loss, Ireton had squeaked by John Paul the Great in a 65-56 overtime win and pummeled Trinity Christian 111-66. The Cardinals face Wilson on Tuesday.